Nuclear salt water rocket powered space fighter

[yree]

Nuclear salt water rocket powered space fighter is nuts or Dumb?

 

[mcbethcg]

Space fighters in science fiction are exciting and cool, and lead to great story possibilities. It doesn't matter what powers them, because its all fantasy anyway.<br /><br />But in reality, space fighters in general are a bad idea. There is no air in space, and everything follows the laws of physics. Maneuvering wastes fuel that could be used for acceleration.<br /><br />In other words, lets say that a given spacecraft has enough fuel to accelerate in a straight line to 20,000 mph. That means it has the ability to change its velocity by 20,000 mph. It has a delta-v of 20,000 mph. If it wants to return to base, it would have to use 1/4 of its delta-v to get up to speed, 1/4 to stop at the destination, 1/4 to accelerate back, and 1/4 to stop at its carrier. The top speed would thus be 5000 mph because only 1/4 of the the delta-v would be used to get there.<br /><br />On the other hand, if your "fighter" were a missile, it would arrive at the target at 20,000 mph, because the entire delta-v would be used for straight line acceleration.<br /><br />

 

[grooble]

No point making manned fighters is there. Just make advanced unmanned vehicles, that way you don't need life support.

 

[mcbethcg]

I agree. Missiles. Anything on a one-way trip will have 4 times the performance of a similar spacecraft that needs to return.

 

[yree]

United States Space Navy Orion Space Fleet: O.S.P.F.L<br />Kevin J waldroup<br /><br />Frigates FFG 8<br />Atomic Spacecraft: 2 "Large Space Fighter"<br />Length: 50.M 160FT<br />Core Diameter: 10.M 32.8FT<br />Crew: 10 Officers 18 Enlisted<br />Armament: 15 Missiles 2 Turret Railgun PT GM 4 8Turret DC<br />SpaceDrive: Orion Drive<br /><br />Destroyers DDG 4<br />Atomic Spacecraft: 4 "Large Space Fighter"<br />Length: 73.M 240 FT<br />Core Diameter: 20.M 65.6<br />Crew: 10 Officers 60 Enlisted<br />Armament: 20 Missiles 4 Railgun Turret 8 close-in-weapons systems Turret<br />SpaceDrive: Orion Drive<br /><br />Cruisers - CG<br />Atomic Spacecraft: 6 "Large Space Fighter"<br />Length: 100M 195 FT<br />Core Diameter: 40M 78 FT<br />Crew: 15 Officers 70 Enlisted<br />Armament: 30 Missiles 6 Railgun Turret 10 close-in-weapons systems Turret<br />SpaceDrive: Orion Drive<br /><br />Spaceship Transport Dock- LPD 4<br />Length: 99.M<br />Core Diameter: 40.M<br />Crew:10<br />Troops: 400<br />Spacecraft: 8 S.L.C 100 soldiers 14IFV 8MBT<br />1 />S.L.C 100 soldiers 14IFV/20APC 8MBT/ 10AGS<br />SpaceDrive: Zubrin Drive nuclear salt water rocket<br /><br /><br />Large Space Fighter L.F.<br />Length: 20<br />Diameter: 5<br />Crew: 2<br />Armament: 8 Missiles 1 Turret railgun<br />SpaceDrive: Zubrin Drive<br />Appendix<br />http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3c2.html#nswr<br />External Pulsed Plasma Propulsion.<br />http://www.angelfire.com/stars2/projectorion/EPPP.html<br />NUCLEAR PULSE SPACE VEHICLE STUDY<br />Vol -I---SUMMSRY<br />Gerge C. Marshall Space Flight Ceter<br />Future Projects Offece<br />National Aeronautics and Space Administration<br />Huntaville, Albama<br />Contract NAS 8-11053<br />http://66.49.163.218/data/orion_summary.pdf<br />http://www.astronautix.c</safety_wrapper

 

[Kevin_J_waldroup]

<p>Nuclear salt water rocket powered space fighter is nuts or Dumb? </p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font size="2">Even with the most efficient nuclear rocket engines that are theorized the best mass fraction you can get is 50%. In other words, the smallest fuel tank is going to be half the size of your ship. If you want to get anywhere you'll need a pretty big tank. That soon stops being a fighter & really quick turns into a battleship.&nbsp;</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>